1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio control signal transmission apparatus and reception apparatus, control system and control method using an audio control signal, program information transmission apparatus and transmission method, and program reservation apparatus and program reservation method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a television reception apparatus, a radio reception apparatus, a video tape recorder (VTR) having a television tuner mounted, and the like, have been controlled at a distance by using a remote controller based on infrared rays.
For example, in a video tape recorder (VTR) and a television reception apparatus having a timer reservation function, a recording reservation and a program reservation are carried out by operating the infrared-ray controller as follows.    (1) Set a timer at a reservation mode.    (2) Set a start week and day of the week.    (3) Set a start hour.    (4) Set a start minute.    (5) Set an end hour.    (6) Set an end minute.    (7) Set a channel to be reserved.    (8) Set a timer reservation.
Among the aforementioned procedure steps (1) and (8), the steps (2) to (7) are carried out by setting a numeric using an up switch and a down switch for incrementing or decrementing by 1 digit, or using an input apparatus such as a 10-key switch and a bar code. Moreover, when reserving a program which is broadcast at the same time every day or every week, the above reservation is proclaimed each time so as to repeatedly use the program reservation information.
In a television reception apparatus, radio reception apparatus, video tape recorder (VTR) having a television tuner mounted, and the like, in addition to a function for receiving and demodulating an audio signal, it is necessary to provide a function for receiving and demodulating a remote control signal from a remote controller using an infrared ray so as to enable remote control using the remote controller.
Moreover, for a recording reservation and a program reservation in a video tape recorder (VTR) and a television reception apparatus having a time reservation function, a user needs to enter a necessary information for setting the reservation by looking at a program table.